Detection of organics using porphyrin embedded nanoporous organosilicas.

Molecularly imprinted polymers and silica have been studied as receptor binding site mimics for use in a wide range of separation, catalysis, and detection applications employing transduction mechanisms including conductometric, amperometric, and capacitance. Porphyrins are also well known as sensor components due to the extreme sensitivity of their spectrophotometric characteristics to changes in their immediate environment. We have developed periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMO) which incorporate a porphyrin into the material for use as an optical indicator of target binding. This material combines the stability, selectivity, and high density of binding sites characteristic of the molecularly imprinted PMO with the sensitivity and selectivity of the porphyrin. We demonstrate binding of p-nitrophenol, p-cresol, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and RDX by the porphyrin-embedded PMOs with selective adsorption of TNT over the other analytes. In addition, the binding of each of the organics by the PMO results in unique changes in the spectrophotometric characteristics of the incorporated porphyrin. These changes can be observed by visual inspection or through the use of fluorescence spectra collected in 96-well format.

Combination of immunosensor detection with viability testing and confirmation using the polymerase chain reaction and culture.

Rapid and accurate differential determination of viable versus nonviable microbes is critical for formulation of an appropriate response after pathogen detection. Sensors for rapid bacterial identification can be used for applications ranging from environmental monitoring and homeland defense to food process monitoring, but few provide viability information. This study combines the rapid screening capability of the array biosensor using an immunoassay format with methods for determination of viability. Additionally, cells captured by the immobilized antibodies can be cultured following fluorescence imaging to further confirm viability and for cell population expansion for further characterization, e.g., strain identification or antibiotic susceptibility testing. Finally, we demonstrate analysis of captured bacteria using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR results for waveguide-captured cells were 3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than the fluorescence immunoassay and can also provide additional genetic information on the captured microbes. These approaches can be used to rapidly detect and distinguish viable versus nonviable and pathogenic versus nonpathogenic captured organisms, provide culture materials for further analysis on a shorter time scale, and assess the efficacy of decontamination or sterilization procedures.

Prevention of nonspecific bacterial cell adhesion in immunoassays by use of cranberry juice.

The ability of Vaccinum macrocarpon, the North American cranberry, to prevent bacterial adhesion has been used to advantage in the prevention of urinary tract infections and has recently been described for the prevention of adhesion of bacteria responsible for oral infections and stomach ulcers. This report documents the ability of cranberry juice to reduce nonspecific adhesion of bacteria to the borosilicate glass microscope slides used in an immunoarray biosensor format. Nonspecific binding of analytes in the array sensor leads to high background signals that cause increased detection limits and false positives. Reduction in background-to-signal ratios can be seen as the juice concentration is increased from 0 to 50% of the sample. This impact cannot be duplicated with grape, orange, apple, or white cranberry juice. Sugar content and pH have been eliminated as the agents in the juice responsible for the anti-adhesive activity.